Process for preparing clay products



Patented Mal- .8,

UNITE STTES PATENT OFFICE 1 CHARLES W. rnnxs, or WILMINGTON, nos exmoaim I i rnoorzss non PREPARING. cnnrrnonuo'rs I No Drawing. i Application filed May 3, 1930. serial No. 448,6?8. V g

This invention relates to a process for the chamber, with-iair pr'evented' fromentercoloring clay products and relates more paring by keeping the gas pressure" slightly ticularly to a process for coloring burnt clay higher than atmospheric pressure. Theprode P ucts are permitted to cool to say 1200 Ffiin An object of the invention is tocolor clay the atmosphere of combustible gas, and then products and a more definite object is to the. gas may be discontinued'and air admitcolor burnt or heat treated clay products by tedfor the remainder of the cooling. f i exposing them. to the influence of a vapor The range of temperatures'through which other than air. r the clay products-should be cooled depends H 1 As is well known at the present time, brick both upon their physical characteristics and and other clay products are burned or heat upon thecolor efiects desired. I treated in open or closed chambers with fur- Combustible gas may be produced within naces of some type as sources of heat. When the heating chamber, according to this inthe desired heat has been obtained, firing of vention, by introducing a'combustible fuel product is permitted to cool. This cooling forced into the chamber, which, upon being heretofore has always been done in an at- .heated'by the walls and the clay products, mosphere of air, this whether the furnace is forms a combustible gas which serves to closed or open. I color the clay products when cooled in, its 20 According to this invention, after the clay atmosphere; 1 products have been heated to thedesired tem- After application of a combustible gas to perature, the heat is lessened or discontinued, V the "clay products, it may prove undesirable the chamber in which the clay products are to continue its application once the desired I heated is closed and filled with gas, and the effect is obtained. In order to discontinue) 25 clay products are permitted to cool partially the application or" the combustible gas; and! or completely in this atmosphere of gas. In still retain its eliect-in' part at least,aninert" the open type of chamber, the chamber gas,such as carbon dioxide, to which there f would, of course, have to be closed off, or the may or may not have been added a certain clay products removed to a closed chamber p rce tag of o bustibl g g, is dmitt d 'into which a combustible gas may be adinto the chamber so'that the combustible gas mitted Wi o t bu i n t i g p c therein is greatly diluted or forced out. Th fi S 110t necessary eXhauSt h reason for the addition of combustible gas to the chamber into whlch the g 18 admltted, theinert as admitted into the heating'cham- Since h the a is admitted. oxygen ber is to p reventany air excess, which'is gen'e content 1s substantlally burnt out. The chamu present, from becoming, an x ing; 8.. V 7 coetalmng the e-Y prodltcts 1s i agen'tQ With sufficient combustible gaspres- 9 Wlth a temldemtulle suificlently i ent in the" inert gases, the action" on the clay lgmte Q P F mlxture Ofgas and products will still be reducing or neutral. but by admitting the gas slowly, the oxygen Aft t h b d d 1 ,l content is exhausted before suflicient gas to ltner gas g; if 1m 5' 6 C W constitute an explosive mixture is admitted. pro uc t :5 e d i ai 1 gnfi d According to this invention, the clay prodpolsure a evpro n S re a v e eslre, ucts may be cooled completely from their i i maximum temperature to atmospheric vtem- By admlttmg Inert gage? P combustlble Perature in a combustible gas, they may gases, the danger of explosion 1S lessened, d be cooled through any portion of this range the actlon f h combustlble gases on the clay of temperature. For example, the clay prod- P y be Controlled more f y- It t may b h t d say 2000 F, Th are is to be understood, of course, that this invenpermitted to cool to 1600 F. At this temtion comprehends completeor partial cooling perature, a combustible gas is admitted into combustible gases, or complete or partial 1 1a the furnace is discontinued and the clay therein. For-example, petroleum maybe as v v cooling in combustible gases diluted by an inert gas.

It is believed that any form of gas vapor containing combustible constituents may be used, according to this invention. Such gases are natural gas, coal gas, petroleum vapors and others.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the methods disclosed in the foregoing description as other methods and applications may be practiced without departing from the spirit of the invention which is to be limited only by the scopeof the annexed claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of coloring a clay product, which comprises, heating it in a chamber containing air, closing 0E said chamber, dis continuing theheat, and then introducing a combustible mixture into said chamber after the contents of the chamber have cooled below their maximum temperature but before the product has been completely cooled.

2. The method of coloring a clay product, which comprises, heating it in a chamber containing air, closing off said chamber and removing the oxygen content therefrom, discontinuing the heat, then introducing gas containing combustible constituents after the temperature falls to an appreciable extent but before the product has been completely cooled, and cooling saidproduct in said gas.

8. The method of coloring a clay product, which comprises, heating it in a chamber containing oxygen, closing off said chamber, discontinuing .the heat, permitting the chamber and itscontents to cool below their maximum temperature, then introducing a combustible mixture before the product has been completely cooled, and then cooling said product in said combustible mixture.

4:. The method of coloring a clay product, which comprises, heating it in a chamber containing air, closing off said chamber and removing the oxygen content therefrom, discontinuing the heat, introducing gas containing combustible constituents, and cooling said product in said gas until the'desired effect is obtained, and then admitting an inert gas.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' CHARLES W. PARKS. 

